


Conviction

by blueemissary (robinsword)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (Comics), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety, BAMF Bruce Banner, M/M, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Thor (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 08:05:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16698601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinsword/pseuds/blueemissary
Summary: Curled hair plastered to his forehead, breathing harsh, the glazed remnants of the nightmare - the memory - causing his whole body to tremble as he stood, hunched over the basin… Finding Bruce in this state has become somewhat a common occurrence in their everyday.At least, that is, ever since the return of one Secretary Thaddeus Ross....Thor had decided that action needed to be taken. Bruce needs closure.And not on Ross’ terms, like everyone else has been pushing for.---Written for the prompt:"We could get arrested for this."





	Conviction

“We could get arrested for this.”

“I would like to see them try.”

There’s a long stretch of silence between the acknowledgement.

The air between them has been tense with both anxiety and anticipation for a week now. Ever since he’d been woken up to find Bruce missing from the bed. Again.

Ever since he had found him, instead of sleeping, dry heaving into the bathroom sink. Curled hair plastered to his forehead, breathing harsh, the glazed remnants of the nightmare - the memory - causing his whole body to tremble as he stood, hunched over the basin… Finding Bruce in this state has become somewhat a common occurrence in their everyday.

At least, that is, ever since the return of one Secretary Thaddeus Ross.

After their return to earth and their subsequent battle for the fate of the universe (again), there had been talk of having Bruce meet with Ross. To ‘settle their differences’ now that Ross has been promoted and has been given a more active role in watching the Avengers. Bruce refused, of course. He still does and Thor takes care to drive any who try to convince him otherwise away. Just the idea of someone even _implying_ that Bruce should ever have to put aside what had been done to him, for the sake of civility with a corrupt government official, made Thor want to punch something. Hard. Preferably Ross himself.

Finding Bruce in such a state, — unable to eat, sleep, go for a damn walk without looking over his shoulder at every turn, and back to a state that he has worked _so hard_ to move on from since joining the Avengers, a state where every bang has him flinching again, hard enough to drop whatever he’s holding and have it shatter at his feet — well... Thor had decided action needed to be taken. Bruce needs closure.

And not on Ross’ terms, like everyone else has been pushing for.

“If you don’t want to do this—”

“It’s not that,” Bruce cuts Thor off, quietly, staring into the distance. Following his gaze, Thor watches as another patrol of guards march past the edge of the compound, shadows silhouetted against the ground by dull moonlight shining through winter clouds.

After a week of searching, it is here that they had finally tracked Ross to. According to what information they had been able to gather beforehand, during their preparations for today, Ross is most likely still conducting unsanctioned human experimentations here. (Which is just another reason Thor is convinced that what he’s about to do is the right thing.) And he has been visiting it more frequently the more it becomes apparent that Bruce will never cooperate with him.

Bruce’s voice is low next to Thor, “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.” His head bows for a second as he takes a deep breath in. Crouching in the dirt next to Thor, out of sight from the compound’s patrol, there is tension written in his hunched shoulders. And yet a calmness still remains on his face. When he looks up, his eyes are on Thor’s. He continues, “But up until now I’ve been too afraid. Of myself, of what I was - what I _am,_ still - capable of. And what the consequences would be if I failed.”

Thor opens his mouth, a reassurance that he will never let anything happen to Bruce on the tip of his tongue, when Bruce cuts him off with a held up hand.

“Back then, if I’d been captured again…” He swallows around the word, losing his momentum for a moment while the memory that has been plaguing him for weeks rears its head. But he shakes it away, determined. “No one would have come for me. Ross would have got what he wanted and the world would be filled monstrous soldiers made out of my own DNA and it would have been my fault for taking that chance.”

Thor knows better than to try to interrupt him again, even as the desire to say something contrariwise gnaws at him. It seems Bruce senses his unrest because his hand finds Thor’s and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

“But it’s different now. I have you. Right?”

Thor nods, silent and slightly in awe of the steel he sees in Bruce’s eyes as he says this. An assuredness unlike any Thor has witnessed in him so far. He can’t look away from it.

The spell is broken by Bruce’s next words:

“Thor, I don’t want you to go in.”

It takes a moment to process and Thor just blinks, brow drawing in confusion. He shuffles closer, studying Bruce’s face, searching for what changed. They’ve been planning this for weeks. Thor had promised he would do this for him. “What?”

Bruce looks solemn. Determined.

“You don’t just have me Thor. You have your people to think about.”

“I know that but—”

“If you go in there and something goes wrong… I wish I could say that it won’t have any affect on your people’s place here on earth but… well it’d be all too easy to Ross to paint you all as a threat.”

“I understand.” And he does. He really does. But, “He still shouldn’t be allowed to get away with _this_ —” he spreads a hand and gestures in the direction of the compound—“or what he did to _you_ unscathed.”

At this a small, slightly sad smile crosses Bruce’s face. “He won’t. I promise.” He pulls their intertwined hands up to his lips, pressing a kiss to Thor’s knuckle. It’s a similar gesture to one that Thor has imparted on Bruce many a time. “Just trust me, okay?”

Thor sighs, softly, and finally concedes.  

…

The emergency lights flash, setting the walls ablaze with a bright red. From it’s light, two shadows grow on every piece of furniture in the room; the CCTV monitor, the supply cupboard, the desk, it’s chair… and a lone operating table, pushed up horizontally against the back wall.

In the silence, the flashing of the red light is eerie and ominous. It doesn’t seem to have much effect on the lone man making his way down the corridor to the room’s door, none other than to increase his pace a little. His face remains as hard as ever.

The panel on the door takes a retinal scan from him. The way it slides open so smoothly is a testament to the higher quality of all the technology that is down here, in the lowest underground levels of the compound. While this room has not been used for many years, it still remains one of the most secure on the premises.

Although, it’s original intention had been to keep it’s occupant inside rather than to defend them from intruders.

Still, it had been advised that he come down here until the unknown intruder is found. Once he is inside, he taps in a combination that seals the door. The knowledge that no one but he will be able to access this room from now on until he unlocks it gives him a small sense of comfort. Even by force, this would be a difficult room to enter from the outside, lined with both steel and thick, concrete walls.

Wiping the sweat from his reddened face with a handkerchief, Ross turns towards the room, intending to head over to the supply closet. Instead he manages two steps and stops, facing the back wall.

“You.”

Bruce Banner leans casually against the operating table, one leg crossed in front of the other, hands bracing him on the smooth surface from behind. The red light casts two shadows from him as well, both stretching out towards Ross, larger than life, as large as —

Banner’s eyes shine with a bright, radioactive green.

“It sure is.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also on [tumblr ](https://asgardianbruce.tumblr.com/)


End file.
